Help! P-Nut butter no longer allowed in school lunches

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> School age children

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yOungM0mmy

Wed, Aug 29 2007, 3:10 pm

Ruchel wrote:

suomynona wrote:

it's the same country that makes chocolate flavored baby cereal.

What's bad with them? here they make it too, and caramel, and cookie...

I saw this in Israel when I lived there for the first 9 months of my son's life, and I just thought "WHY?????"
I am not one of those healthy moms - my kid is now 15 months, and he has chocolate almost every day - I know its not healthy, and I do try to limit it, he's just a born chocoholic. But why on earth would you give chocolate to a 6 month old baby??? They dont know what they're missing, they dont appreciate the taste, and they dont understand, even tho my son definitely had opinions in taste by that time - he wouldnt touch carrot, but that doesnt mean he needed chocolate - enough time for teh rest of his life for that. now its harder, cuz he sees us eat it, and wants, but at 6 months old, there is none of that.

and about the people who say - why should my son suffer and not have peanut butter sandwhiches, just cuz the other kid is allergic... I never understood that attitude. I am also allergic, tho not deathly, dont have an epi-pen. But when someone's life is in the balance - as above - if the kid doesnt wash hands, and touches the table, or the door handle, the second kid could have a reaction, its really not such a far-fetched reality - dont you think it is not such a big deal after all to find an alternative for ONE meal and 2 snacks a day (maximum)???
Maybe its something you got to live with to understand...I dont know.

↑ mummy-bh

Wed, Aug 29 2007, 5:30 pm

greenfire wrote:

why should her kid starve just because somebody is allergic ... no food sharing would solve everything - the kids should be taught - the teachers should be taught - the parents should be taught ...

as others have pointed out, it's not just about sharing, unfortunately. My daughter once had a reaction to sesame covered breadsticks that were being eaten 5 feet away from her.

Amother is correct about the sesame-peanut thing, at least in my daughters case, anyway.

And about the chocolate flavoured baby food. shock

...................why? That has got to be one of the craziest things I heard recently. I'm trying to wean myself off chocolate, I should start to wean my babies onto it at the same time? Confused

shlumzmum

Wed, Aug 29 2007, 6:10 pm

I'm so happy that some school don't allow peanut butter. my sons school serves peanut butter for the children by lunch and I don't think its fair. my son is allergic to nuts and he can't sit at the table with his friends. he sits at a table with allergic children.
I think they should make it a law not to serve peanut butter
and btw he is allergic to sesame too as mentioned above that some children are alliergic to it.

parents should also know not to send bamba as a snack.

Nomad

Wed, Aug 29 2007, 6:51 pm

I think it is very smart that peanut butter is not allowed. and for those who want to fight it - would they be comfortable being responsible for a childs (chas vashalom!!) death because a kid is eating a sandwich across the room?

so btMOMtoFFBs - you are awesome.
I wonder - if your son was ok with peanut butter every day maybe he will be ok with egg salad everyday?

morningstar ↓

Wed, Aug 29 2007, 7:37 pm

salmon patties, veggie burgers, fried fish/ sandwich, cream cheese with jelly ( or with olives) margarine or mayo with tomato (try whole wheat bread to up the nutritional content), vegetarian liver, marinated tofu, babaganoush or spicy eggplant spread . . .
Good luck!!

↑ morningstar

Wed, Aug 29 2007, 7:38 pm

One more thought.. guacamole ( or avocado spread)...
I also sometimes use avocado in egg salad... or tuna and egg salad.

luckyme ↓

Wed, Aug 29 2007, 7:41 pm

Quesadillas are a fun way to get protein into kids - mine love them! Super easy to make:
2 tortillas with slices of cheese in between & put in a warm skillet for a couple of minutes until cheese just starts to melt or nuke for 20-25 secs if you prefer -this is to keep the whole thing together, not necessarily to make a hot lunch.
I cut into 6 pieces & wrap in in aluminum foil... its still slightly warm at lunchtime. If your kid is not such a big eater, you could just use 1 tortilla & fold in half for 3 pieces.
Another favorite-COLD pizza...its not just for breakfast anymore! Cheers

We also like cheese kebabs:
squares of cheese alternate with fruit, like grapes, on a drinking straw-you may have to poke holes in the cheese first if its a harder one like cheddar. Kids love to help make them, and wrapped in paper towels in a ziploc, they keep well in the fridge overnight.
My 5 y/o loves stuffed/"deviled" eggs. I put them in a square covered tupperware like a sandwich keeper, but because of the mayo, I also put a frozen pack.
If other nuts are not an issue, try almond butter. Its actually healthier than PB and with the sweet taste works the same in a sandwich with jelly or on crackers.
Regarding the separate table for children with allergies, our school has taken a different approach:
The Peanut Gallery! 8) a table for children who ARE eating peanuts.
This way the allergic kid doesn't feel singled out. If a child is eating peanut products they are asked to invite a friend (who may or may not be eating peanuts) and they sit at this special table.

↑ btMOMtoFFBs ↓

Wed, Aug 29 2007, 7:55 pm

Yay! I finally got a burning-fire icon for a thread I started. (Who knew lunch suggestions could be so controversial!)

Thanks for all the smart tips and ideas ladies! I will start trying these things out.

BrachaC

Wed, Aug 29 2007, 8:31 pm

Thanks for the thread. I struggled through my first peanut free year last year, and am gearing up for this year. We usually did one day of the following: yogurt, deli (we have an assigned meat day in one school), cold pizza, left over macaroni, and cheese and crackers. I have one who will never eat a sandwich so it had to be deli and crackers, cheese and crackers etc. She also does not like cold pizza so she got yogurt twice a week. I'm going to try the quesedilla idea, but I have to make it the night before. Mornings are tough enough I can't add making lunches to the list!

↑ luckyme

Wed, Aug 29 2007, 8:38 pm

The quesadillas are good cold too, just heat them at night so they stick together then refrigerate.
Try the cheese kebabs -they'll be a hit!

↑ Marion ↓

Thu, Aug 30 2007, 2:45 am

My standard answer to the mothers in DS's class who say "why should my child suffer" is "so that mine doesn't die".

Last edited by Marion on Thu, Nov 08 2007, 10:18 pm; edited 1 time in total

sunnybrook ↓

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 12:57 pm

A developmental pediatrician in Israel told me that in Israel, peanut allergies are far less common than in America -- and no one can figure out why. When you were growing up, did you ever hear of anyone allergic to peanuts, esply deathly sensitive c"v? Maybe they're doing something to the peanuts today?????

Tamiri

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 2:24 pm

This is an old thread, not sure it's still relevant, but I give my kids almond butter. It's pretty benign, I don't think it's a nut like a tree nut, full of iron, naturally sweet, no added garbage like regular PB.
One reason that so many Americans are allergic to peanuts may be overuse. The body simply can't handle the overload and react by allergy and it passes from parent to child. I heard that explanation once.

Isramom8

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 3:54 pm

I'm in Israel. One year, or maybe it was two, the kids at our daughters' school were asked not to bring peanut products. Somehow it all worked out quietly. The parents of the two allergic girls were so nice about it. They didn't make a loud fuss, and no one put up a fight either. It was inspiring to see each side taking as much responsibility as it could.

Both girls had immigrated from western countries just a few years before. Here all babies eat bamba, and none that I know have peanut allergies.

The smell makes me unable to breathe, but I'm not allergic to peanuts!

Our kids take: tuna sandwiches, cheese and mayonnaise sandwiches, plain bread with cucumber spears, chocolate spread sandwiches (which they get tired of), and our 5 year old takes peanut butter every single day. Two kids bring money to buy a roll and chocolate milk at a nearby makolet.

GAMZu

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 8:13 pm

Tamiri, I think it's the opposite. I don't see overuse of PB in the US. But in EY, Bamba is practically a first food!
I actually heard that ABSTAINING from certain foods triggers allergies.
In US, it is accepted to start kids on foods slowly and only give one type for a long while, then add some more single ingredient foods, etc...

In most other countries, babies eat table foods from the beginning. And there are no allergy problems in those societies.
I, for one, am originally from Europe, so I know our risk of allergies is almost nonexistant. I give my kids all allergenic foods within the first year, and hopefully they won't develop aleergies BECAUSE of the early exposure.

Mommy3.5

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 9:07 pm

tamri, Almonds are a tree nut. and most children who are allergic to peanuts are also allergic to tree nuts. (peanuts are not nuts they are legumes)

Mimisinger

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 9:28 pm

Among other ideas is the fact that Americans are too clean. We wash all of the time with anti-bacterial soap. The body starts to fight off things that should be ok...

↑ Marion ↓

Thu, Nov 08 2007, 10:19 pm

sunnybrook wrote:

Yeah, I heard of such a person...her name is Marion.

↑ sunnybrook

Sat, Nov 10 2007, 1:01 pm

Gee, Marion, sorry to hear that you yourself are allergic. But pardon my curiosity -- how long ago were you diagnosed? Did you suffer for a long while without knowing why?Seems like we started hearing about extreme allergic reactions only a few short years ago -- and since then, so many horror stories about extreme sensitivities. Where was all of this 10-20 years ago?

↑ Marion

Sat, Nov 10 2007, 3:05 pm

sunnybrook wrote:

I only went for testing when I was 18...so 12 years ago. But we knew from the time I was 2 that there was a problem with nuts, and specifically with peanuts, and so we assumed I was allergic to them and I avoided them like the plague. (I was also allergic/sensitive to chocolate, tomatoes, strawberries, and oranges as a child, but not anywhere as severely as the peanuts...everything else I outgrew.) Because my other allergies were only if I actually ate those foods, we didn't know that this one was more severe...and for years I just suffered with headaches at school (always worse immediately after lunch than in the morning).

I think the extreme sensitivities were always there...but no one wanted to be the parent to rock the boat. Now we want to advocate for our children not to be left out; then our parents wanted to teach us to be independent and be happy with what we had. I remember a friend when I was growing up who always took her own food to everything...she had a wheat allergy. My mom always sent a vanilla cupcake with me to birthday parties...because we always assumed the cake would be chocolate.

Because of the history of allergies, there are many food items my son (DS#1) never had. We finally were able to have him allergy tested at 11 months. For DS#2 I hope to get him in sooner...my allergist says he can do testing anytime after 3 months. DS#1 IS also allergic to peanuts, so now I'm the parent rocking the boat. Do you know what it feels like to be the parent asking for a peanut (Bamba) free daycare centre? But do you know how rewarded I feel that not only did the centre's cook not bat an eyelid, and the metaplot (staff) immediately responded by banning it in their classroom, but also NOT A SINGLE PARENT IN ANY OF THE 3 CLASSES (that's roughly 60 kids altogether), none of them complained. And everytime something comes up I get a phonecall from the kitchen or the principal..."is this OK?" "Can he eat that?" I've been given a grand tour of the kitchen, been provided with lists of ingredients on demand (OK, request), and my son has been accomodated graciously.

I think there's just generally a greater acknowledgement of the problem. 60 years ago it was socially acceptable to light up and smoke whenever and wherever you wanted also.

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